In this episode, Dermot Murnaghan sits down with journalist, author and broadcaster Gavin Esler for a wide-ranging conversation that spans Northern Ireland, the White House, and a memorable visit to Dolly Parton’s home.

Gavin opens up about his early career during the Troubles, his run-ins with BBC bureaucracy, and the journalism that helped free innocent men wrongly imprisoned after IRA bombings. He reflects on his years in the United States reporting on Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, his time anchoring Newsnight during its heyday, and how both the media landscape and political accountability have changed.

Gavin also reveals:

• What it was like to report on Obama’s rise, from Chicago blues clubs
• Why sectarian football chants nearly turned him off the game
• The challenge of holding power to account in an age of "truth decay"

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